JB, re: McCarty et al., what do you think of the hypothesis that polarization is rooted, at least in part, in the primary system? When politicians pick the party nominees, politicians become candidates. When primary voters pick nominees, anti-politicians stand a better chance.

I'm currently reading "American Slavery" by Peter Kochin and, from what he writes about the antebellum south in the last decade before the Civil War, it is apparent to me that Zach Beauchamp could start is story a little sooner than the New Deal.

It is amazing to me how little has really changed over the years. Just the players are different.